JANUARY 7, 2016

Farm Show archive photo

A photo from the first Pennsylvania Farm Show in 1917.

INSIDE

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A historical look back at the show

What’s new for this year’s experience

Family shares its special moments

A look back via Daily Item photos

5 must-see events and schedule

Your map to the 2016 festivities

Guide to safe parking options

• Barnyard Bar-B-Que • Deli Meats

• Local Produce • Homemade Baked Goods

• Fund Raisers • Party Trays

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Congratulations on 100 th Anniversary!!

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By John ZaktanskyThe Daily Item

SUNBURY — Imagine how convenient it would be to enjoy the many festivities of the 100th anniversary edition of the Pennsylvania Farm Show right here in the Valley.

According to extensive historical research by Mary Klaus for her commemo-rative book, “Hold Your Horses: The Pennsylvania Farm Show at 100,” that almost became a reality.

The first farm show was held from Jan. 23-25, 1917, in the three-story Emerson-Brantingham farm implement building in Harrisburg. As the show expanded, it was spread to various locations through-out the capital city.

In the late 1920s, the farm show had grown into such a huge annual hit, that then-Gov. John Fisher an-nounced that the exhibition needed a permanent home at one location. Sunbury was among several options considered for an extensive Farm Show Complex, as officials from the city along with those from William-sport, Altoona and Har-risburg vied for the $5.84 million appropriated in 1929 for a complex.

“Harrisburg won out because it was the most centralized for everyone in the state,” said Klaus. The builders began work imme-diately, taking 16 months to create a 10-acre structure with 425,000 square feet of floor space. On Jan. 19, 1931, the complex was open for business and dedicated. More than 250,000 visitors were estimated at the 1931 show — triple the total from the previous year.

“It was a neat building for a neat show, and became

a big part of Pennsylvania history,” said Klaus. The complex saw numerous ren-ovations from that moment forward, ultimately becom-ing the largest agricultural venue in the United States heading into this year’s Jan. 9 opening ceremonies.

The 10-decade tenure of the farm show has also generated a lot of interest-ing historical moments. Some of the most intriguing include:n After a successful first

farm show in 1917 that drew 44 exhibitors vy-ing for a total of $1,430 in premiums and an estimated 3,000 visitors in attendance, the much-anticipated 1918 show was cancelled a month before it kicked off due to World War I. How-ever, a few days later, Agri-culture Secretary Charles

Patton announced that the show would still happen.n During the early farm

shows, residents of Har-risburg would bring empty bottles to the shows for free milk refills from ex-hibitors that had no other way to use the milk gener-ated from their dairy cows at the show.n The advent of the

United States’ involve-ment in World War II had a significant impact on the farm show. Shortly after the 1942 show, the building was leased to the military as a training base for aircraft mechanics to learn how to repair planes. The mechan-ics school closed in 1944, but was replaced by an Army Air Corps aircraft engine repair shop. The

Photo provided from Farm Show archives

Farm machinery is on display in the Emerson-Brantingham building during the 1928 Farm Show.

Pennsylvania tradition stands the ... Wars, flooding, snowstorms no match for the week-long agricultural showcase

Please see TIME, A11

By John ZaktanskyThe Daily Item

HARRISBURG — The 2016 Farm Show — the 100th edition of a Penn-sylvania tradition dating back to 1917 — is sure to be one of the biggest and best displays of agricultural excellence in the country.

Getting to Saturday’s opening ceremonies has been a long, twisty road for organizers such as Sharon Altland, executive director of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex.

“People probably don’t realize what all goes into this. In planning the 100th, the process actually started two years ago,” she said. “We knew it was going to be a huge event, and we wanted to make sure that everyone who comes will remember it.”

The long process in-cluded a number of com-mittees, including ones for overall planning, education, history, marketing and others.

“The committees were tasked with certain areas, and we’d come together bi-weekly to discuss what was accomplished, where things may be falling short and we met regularly with the agricultural secretary to get ideas,” Altland said.

The end result will be a show that merges all the things people have come to love about the show along with some new attractions.

“We’re excited about the history element this year. This is a show about family, about their stories. We’ll give them a chance to look back at their childhood through history walls with different themes,” said Brandy Hunter-Davenport, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. “There will be 100 years of agri-culture with notes of what

it looked like over time. And 100 years of the farm show itself. We’ve had the opportunity to dig through the state archives and we have some images families have dug up and allowed us to use.

“This will be a show where people have a chance to look at old photos and reminisce — and remember when.”

Altland agreed.“Our vendors have really

gotten into this theme and are incorporating it into their booths,” she said. “You’ll get a chance to see what something looked like 100 years ago and how it has changed since then. We’ll have lots of old equip-ment displays.”

Another new attraction sure to please is the “Farm to Shelf” concept.

“Some people don’t

understand that their food comes from somewhere,” Altland said. “They will be able to walk into the Farm to Shelf display and see how it flows. They’ll be able to see a potato plant, for example, and how potatoes grow underground, they’ll see it through the harvest-ing stage, into processing and ultimately onto a Weis shelf.”

The popular learning stations have also been rebranded.

“The focus will be fam-ily instead of youth,” said Hunter-Davenport. “We have asked our vendors who participate to really step it up a notch. It will focus on history, careers and much more.”

Another noticeable change will be the lack of poultry.

“Unfortunately, with the

avian flu concerns, we had to eliminate the live poultry display this year,” said Hunter-Davenport. “But this year, we are adding al-pacas. That’s how it goes at the show sometimes — one thing leaves and something else comes in.”

When asked for a tip to enhance viewing enjoyment of the show, Hunter-Daven-port urged timing.

“Weekends are typically

the heaviest in attendance,” she said. “People also like to come in the middle of the day — from about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Try to come on a weekday and come early to get a lot of the show in before it gets overly crowded.”

n Email comments to jzaktansky@dailyitem.com or follow Zaktansky on Twitter @zaktansky

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Farm Show

History at core of new attractions

Photo provided from Farm Show archives

Farm machinery is on display during the 1931 farm show in the first year of the new Farm Show Complex.

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By Karen BlackledgeThe Daily Item

Growing up with Percheron horses, it was a natural chain of events that led Fred Rovenolt to enter them in competitions which have resulted in numerous honors.

“We farmed with horses. My dad always had horses. Before I was born and during the war (World War II), he peddled milk with horses in Turbotville,” he said.

“I built my first hitch wagon out of the wheels of the milk wagon he used. Now Amy and Walt (Ru-pert of the Danville area) have it — they bought it,” Rovenolt said.

Rovenolt’s dad took Percherons to shows in the early 1950s and Rovenolt’s uncle entered them in judg-ing in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Turbotville area residents until he and his wife moved to Harrisburg in 2006, they now live four miles from the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex where they spent many hours entering their large black horses that can weigh a ton or more.

Rovenolt and his wife Donna started entering their horses in competitions in 1986. Their son, Michael, and daughter, Stacy, also competed in events with the horses.

Among their many trophies and plaques were gelding grand champion for four consecutive years. Their plaques and trophies are displayed in a room in their home.

A large photo of six of their horses winning at what is known as the Big E, in Springfield, Mass., hangs in daughter Stacy Butler’s State Farm Insurance Of-fice in Shamokin Dam.

The Rovenolt’s 10-year-old granddaughter carried on the family tradition by

starting to show horses last year.

Two Rovenolt horses were chosen to pull a spe-cial carriage bringing the governor into opening cer-emonies every year at the

farm show. They included Tom Ridge, Bob Casey, Ed Rendell and Mark Sch-weiker.

Rovenolt recalled Ridge

Please see MANY, A10

Congratulations on 100 Years!

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Family enjoyed many special moments

Photo provided

Fred Rovenolt, originally of Turbotville, competes in the team hitch with Ace and Teddy at the farm show in 1994.

Amanda August/The Daily Item

Fred Rovenolt looks through photos of the PA Farm Show at his home in Harrisburg.

Photo provided

Fred Rovenolt poses for a photo with then-Gov. Tom Ridge before entering the main arena for the opening ceremony of the farm show in 2000.

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Rebecca Darrup, of Mifflinburg, competes in the pole-bending competition during the Pennsylvania High School Rodeo at the PA Farm Show in Harrisburg in 2013. An estimated 7,000 watched the competition.

Mary Beth Hannon, of

Danville, takes Beau

for a walk before

showing in the junior

cross breed mar-ket division

in 2011.

Danville High

School stu-dent Katie Bassett is

crowned Pennsyl-

vania Draft Horse and

Mule As-sociation

princess in 2010.

Adam Wray, of West Snyder, checks the food at the FFA booth at the Farm Show in 2004.

Carrie Hartman, of Berks County, tries on cowboy hat after cowboy hat in 2002 be-fore showing her sheep.

Trisha Arbogast, of Beavertown, gets roped by her sister, Megan, while practicing before the start of the High School Rodeo in 2012.

Tori Alison, 12, Spring Grove, practices her milking skills on a dummy cow at the show in 2008.

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On the cover ...Framed by a provided photo from the first Pennsylvania Farm Show in 1917 are three Daily Item file photos. At top is Alainie McDade, of Selinsgrove, barrel racing. In the middle is Kath-erine Dashner, of Woolrich, spinning wool and at bottom is Carrie Young prepping a Jersey cow for show.

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Saturdayn Blue Ribbon Apple Pie

Contest n Opening Ceremoniesn PA Preferred Cookie/

Brownie/Bar Contestn Gina Neely, star of Food

Network’s hit shows “Down Home with the Neelys” and “Road Tasted;” author of “Down Home with the Neelys,” “Road Tasted with the Neelys” and “The Neely’s Celebration Cookbook”n Lance Smith, executive

chef at The Millworks, Har-risburgn Farm Show Fashions n Pennsylvania High School

Rodeo Association Champion-ship Rodeo

Sundayn State Police Mounted Drill

Teamn Honey Extraction Dem-

onstration by the Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association n Non-Denominational Wor-

ship Service n Thermador Chefs Chal-

lenge — “Iron Chef” Style Cook-Off with local chefs and media personalities n Farm Show’s Got Talent

Contest n Rabbit Hopping Contest n Cumberland County 4-H

Club Drill Team

Mondayn Frances Wolf, first lady

of Pennsylvania and Barry Crumlich, executive chef at the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence n Historic Leadline n Mini Horse Pull n Square Dance Parade n Square Dance Contest &

Exhibition

tueSdayn Alpaca Show n Championship Pony Pull-

ing Contest (in order): heavy-weight, lightweight, medium weight n Jr. Livestock Sale in the

following order: steers, lambs, goats & swine n 100 Years of Agriculture n Arena Carriage Racing

n Pennsylvania’s Greatest Whoopie Pie Contest n Celebrity Draft Horse

Team Driving

WedneSday n Youth Fleece to Shawl

Contest n Pippa Calland, winner on

Food Network’s “Chopped,” featured on BBC America’s “Chef Race: UK vs. US,” & ex-ecutive chef at Mid-State Taco in Lemoyne n The Pa Preferred Chili

Cook-Off presented by the Pa Beef Council –Dawson “Chief Chili” Flinchbaugh, co-owner of Flinchy’s Steak & Seafood House, Camp Hill vs. Charlie Gipe, executive chef at the Hershey Entertainment Com-plex, Hershey

n Antique Tractor Pull n Decorated Cupcake

Contest n Sheep to Shawl Auction n Fleece Auction

thurSdayn Army vs. Navy Cook-Off in

recognition of the Farm Show’s Veterans and Active Military Service Member Day n Horse Logging and Oxen

Demo n Celebrity Great Grape

Stomp n Pa Equine Showcase n Circuit Finals Rodeo n Junior Meat Breeding Goat

Supreme Champion

Fridayn Tractor Square Dance n Tractor Square Dance

n Dave Luscher, executive chef at the PA Farm Show Complexn Barn History Presentations n Celebrity Cow Milking

Contest n Sticky Bun Contest n Boer Goat Show

Saturdayn John Moeller, former White

House Chef and author of “Din-ing at the White House - From the President’s Table to Yours” n Celebrity Ice Cream Scoop

Competition “Super Scooper” n Josh Short, executive chef

at Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar, Harrisburgn Lumberjack Demo & Com-

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By John ZaktanskyThe Daily Item

The Pennsylvania Farm Show is a 24-acre event that triggers all five senses like no other activity in the state. There is so much to see, hear, touch, taste and smell that it can take days to experience it all.

Add in the 100-year anniversary celebration at this year’s show, and it can quickly become overwhelm-ing.

So what are can’t-miss highlights to check out at this year’s show? Consider the following:

1. History walls. What better way to experience the 100th anniversary of the show then to check out a smorgasbord of photos and memories that will be posted on theme-specific history

walls at the show? One will be themed after 100 years of agricultural equipment. Another will focus on the changes at the farm show itself over the past century.

2. Alpacas. Poultry exhib-its are banned this year due to concerns about the avian flu, and in its place will be a new emphasis on the grow-ing alpaca industry in our

state. Check it out not just for the education experience, but the cute factor should be at an all-time high.

3. Rebranded learning stations. In previous years, children had a chance to experience the farm show through a number of stations set up in a scavenger hunt fashion. They learned about a specific branch of agricul-ture at the station, got their map stamped and ultimately turned in their completed forms for a chance at prizes via the event’s sponsor: Turkey Hill. This year, the stations will be rebranded into more of a full-family ex-perience that will delve into history, careers and other timely themes.

4. Food court and a mys-tery milkshake. The food court at the farm show is an event all to itself. Numerous

Pennsylvania-based items created with farm-fresh products can make that part of the show hard to resist, and one of the highlights has been the milkshakes produced by the Pennsyl-vania Dairyman’s Associa-tion. Vanilla, chocolate and “swirl” flavors will be joined by a new “Centennial” shake, with the true flavor under wraps until a press conference in the food court on Saturday.

5. Weis’ Farm to Shelf. A massive display that is sure to be worth a look will be the new Weis Farm to Shelf booth. Visitors will get an interactive experi-ence showing them where their food actually comes from, how it is processed and ultimately winds up on the supermarket shelf. Check it out in the Weis Expo Hall.

5 must-see attractions at the 2016 show

Daily Item file photo

Maggie Geyer fries potato donuts at the 2002 Penn-sylvania Farm Show.

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EquineArena

EquineBarn

Large Arena

Main Hall

North Hall

SmallArena

COMMERCIALEXHIBITS

TURKEY HILL

BUTTERSCULPTURE

CULINARYCONNECTION

STAGE 2GO

OD

FO

OD

SS

TAG

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WestHall

NorthwestHall

NortheastHall

PA PREFERREDTM BANQUET HALL& COMMONWEALTH ROOM

(3rd Level)

PEDESTRIANUNDERPASS

Pennsylvania Room

EastHall

HAN

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EXHIBITD

EXHIBITC

LandisValley

Museum

EASTLOBBY

WESTLOBBY

Maclay St . Lobby

MainEntrance MainEntrance

EQUINE ARENAENTRANCE

LOWER SPINE

HTR

ON

NR

NE

CA

TE

Cameron St.Lobby

MAIN ENTRANCE

CAMERON STREET

KEYSTONECONFERENCE

CENTER(2nd Level)

WEST HALL - Pigs (Through Monday), Sheep and Goats

WeisExposition Hall

ADMINISTRATIVEOFFICES(2nd Level)

BUS DROP OFF

83

Food

Cou

rt

CROSSROADSCONFERENCE

CENTER(2nd Level)

Shuttle/Bus Drop-off

Food & Beverage

Security, Emergency, Lost & Found

ATM

Carousel

Coat Check

First Aid Station

Information Booths

Elevators

Men’s & Women’s RestroomsELMERTON AVE. OFF-SITE P

LOWER SPINE

THE

MARKETPLACE

Tractor Ride

Open to Visitors

Baby Changing/Feeding Station

Weis Markets’Farm-to-Shelf

Display

LAN

CAS

TER

FAR

MIN

GST

AGE

FAMILY LIVING

KNOW YOUR FARMER

History Wall

History Wall

History Wall

His

tory

Wal

l

FEED ROOM

Food Court Dining Area

STAGE

2016 Farm show map

East Hall: Sheep, al-pacas, goats and rabbits

Equine Barn: HorsesLower Spine: Open for

foot traffic from North Hall to Cameron Street Lobby and Weis Expo Hall

Maclay Lobby: Corn, small grains, hay, open horticulture

Main Hall: Butter sculp-ture, culinary connec-tion, commercial exhibits, commodity exhibits, food court annex, family living, carousel, Christmas trees

North Hall: Dairy and beef cattle

Northeast Hall: Draft horses and dairy cattle

Northwest Hall: Goats and beef cattle

Weis Exposition Hall: Food court, farm equip-ment, agricultural displays, FFA displays, tractor ride

West Hall: Pigs (through Monday), sheep and goats

Where to find it

Phone: 570.758.3011 • Fax: 570.758.2400 RD 1, Herndon, Pennsylvania 17830

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Family enjoyed many memorable moments

and his son Tommy walk-ing into their tack room while they still were getting dressed. “He came to our stalls earlier than scheduled to explain things to his son. We weren’t notified he was coming early,” he said.

Rovenolt’s Percherons won in team hitch competi-tions at the farm show for 10 consecutive years and in 12 of 14 years. Their last win was with four geldings in 2008 — the last year they competed.

“We won the six-horse hitch at the farm show for eight consecutive years — nobody has done that,” he said.

They also owned the grand champion mare and reserve champion mare in 1987 and supreme champion geldings in 2002, 2003 and 2004 where their horses competed against other breeds for the title.

They entered their horses at the World Percheron Congress in 1998 in Kan-sas City, Mo. Their horses appeared at the National Percheron Show in India-napolis each year and at the Ohio State Fair numerous times. They also took their horses to the Michigan State Fair where they won supreme six-horse hitch for two consecutive years where no one had won over all the breeds, he said. That was in 2001 and 2002.

Their horses proved to be champions in the six-horse hitch at the World Percheron Congress in 2002 in Springfield, Mass. Rovenolt horses were named reserve champions in 2003 there.

The Rovenolts were selected to bring six horses and a wagon to be the first across the Danville-River-side Bridge during the open-ing ceremonies in 2000.

They were also chosen to have six of their horses

pull an antique circle wagon in commemoration of the Ringling Bros. Circus 150th anniversary in Washington, D.C.

“We went around the Capitol and on Pennsylva-nia Avenue to the football stadium,” Rovenolt said.

Rovenolt retired from showing horses after ac-cepting a job in Harrisburg. They still have four horses, said Rovenolt, who will be 71 in March.

“We decided it was a good run and at our age it was time to quit,” he said.

They continue to attend the farm show every year and each year he serves as ringmaster of the draft horse show at the New York State Fair.

He was selected as one of five board members in 2002 to the North American Classic Series Six-Horse Hitch. He was president for four years and secretary for another four years.

He served six years as president of the Pennsyl-vania Percheron Horse Association.

They sold their Percher-ons in 2008 with one of the horses going to a ranch owned by former Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Terry Bradshaw. Their lead horse went to Colorado where he was retired last fall from exhibitions and fairs.

n Email comments to kblackledge@dailyitem.com. Follow Karen on Twitter at @KLBlackledge.

MANY, from Page A5Parking for all shows

is available in the North Lot. When the capacity of the North lot is full, off site parking at the new 29-acre lot is available. This lot is located to the east of the complex off Elmerton Avenue (watch for signs off Cameron Street). Parking for the farm show this year will be $15.

A free shuttle will de-liver show-goers to the Cameron Street entrance of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center.n Best time to arrive:

between 9 a.m. and noonn Busiest time of day:

3:30 to 5:30 p.m.n Carpool: Share the

cost of parking to help reduce traffic conges-tion.n Parking: Write down

the name of the parking lot and the general loca-tion of your vehicle. n Two Farm Show

offsite parking lots are available: 1. East of the complex at the intersec-tion of Elmerton Ave. and Sycamore St. Parking is available for the entire show. 2. Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) on Wildwood

Park Dr., directly north of the complex. This lot is available throughout the entire show.n Shuttle Service:

Complimentary shuttle service is available. Shuttle busses are easily identified by the name of the parking area.n Handicapped park-

ing is available at all parking lots operated by the Farm Show Complex.n Exiting the Farm

Show: Traffic leaving the HACC parking lot and the Elmerton Ave. park-

ing lot will be directed away from Cameron St. Directional signage will guide traffic to all major connecting roads such as Routes 81, 83, 322, 22, 39 and Front and Second streets.n The Pennsylvania

State Police directs and manages Farm Show-related traffic and pro-vides internal and exter-nal security during the show. For more safety and security tips, visit the Pennsylvania State Police website.

Guide to safe show parking

Sharing storiesWe’d love to hear your

favorite farm show story. Email it to jzaktansky@dailyitem.com

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show from 1943-1946 was scaled back to only include agricultural meetings. However, by the 1947 show, the complex was returned to its original use and the farm show that year drew 545,000 visitors and 4,044 exhibits.n In 1954, the Pennsylva-

nia Farm Show had grown so large, it was featured in National Geographic maga-zine in a 40-page special on state fairs.n At the 1960 show,

Gov. David Lawrence tried milking a cow on the eve of the official opening, but fell backward off the stool and fell to the floor. Pic-tures of him made national news.n Twenty-four pigs at

the 1963 show broke loose while being herded from the show ring to the sheep and swine barn. They were safely rounded up 20 min-utes later with no injuries to them or show visitors.n Tropical Storm Agnes

took its toll in 1972, leaving 91 inches of water in the Main Exhibition Building.n Farm show attendance

fell in the early 1970s due to gasoline shortages via the Mideast oil crisis. The situation led to farmer in-novation that was featured at the show on how meth-ane gas could be produced from manure and be an energy source — Gov. Milton Shapp even ate a hamburger and drank cof-fee that was made over a methane flame during the 1974 farm show.n The farm show added

its annual butter sculpture beginning with the 1991 show — the first display was that of Ben Franklin. The butter sculptures have become a must-see tradi-

tion for those attending the show each year.n The farm show be-

came Pennsylvania’s larg-est pajama party in 1996 when 1,800 people were forced to stay over during a large blizzard.

Klaus, a veteran journal-ist affiliated with the farm show for quite some time, said her commemorative book was a labor of love.

“When I was asked to do the book, I requested they let me make it fun. History can be fun, and there are a lot of fun things about the farm show,” she said. “All the important facts and figures are in there, but also a lot of fun situa-tions, like when a college student had to wrestle a goose back into its pen and the story about the day one of the butter sculptures had to have a sex-change operation. There is also a 100-question trivia quiz that I promise no one will get 100 percent on.”

After all her research and time spent at previous farm shows, Klaus said she is often asked what tips she would give someone for a successful farm show experience.

“I always give three simple answers,” she said. “First, wear comfy shoes. Secondly, remember where you parked your car. And lastly, never stand behind a cow.”

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